Artist, Ben
Grant
The Refinery Creator Space Celebrates WNC’s Craft Artists
The WNC Emerging Craft Artist Showcase will be on display at the Asheville Area Art Council’s (AAAC) new home, The Refinery Creator Space, through November 23. The AAAC joins American Craft Week and Mountain Xpress in presenting this show featuring wood, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, knives and glass. An opening reception will be held Friday, October 7 from 5–8 p.m. Eleven regional artists will display works in an effort to foster awareness of local handmade items that celebrate the area’s history of crafts.
Woodworker Ben Grant hails from Waynesville and has studied his craft for about seven years at various regional schools including Penland School of Crafts. He says much of his work is inspired by the shapes and textures he finds in nature. “While I would not consider my current work to be traditional,” Grant says, “I have learned the fundamentals of woodworking at schools with a deep-rooted history of craft education in Western North Carolina.”
Artist, Jessica Self
Black Mountain artist Jessica Self says she taught herself the felting process before undertaking a yearlong fine arts fellowship through Warren Wilson College. “I am wrapping up a series of dress form sculptures,” Self says, “that combine dress forms and human anatomy.” She says she also likes to incorporate metal into her wool sculptures. “I think the hard metal and soft wool create a nice contrast,” she says. “It is a reminder for myself that no matter how hard our outer shell may appear, we are all soft and squishy on the inside.”
All of the participating artists have been nominated as “prominent emerging artists” by local arts and crafts professionals, and five were also finalists in American Craft Week’s Rising Star Spotlight exhibit featuring exceptional craftspeople under 30 years old. American Craft Week is the country’s largest celebration of handcrafted work.
The Refinery Creator Space is located at 207 Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit ashevillearts.com or call 828.258.0710.
